Chapter Seventeen
Let Me Show You
Cal couldn’t believe he’d asked her out. One moment they were talking and laughing, then he just blurted out the invitation. The truth was, he wanted more time with her like this. It wasn’t about the estate or his parents; it was just them talking like friends.
Yes, friends are what they are. Or could be. He certainly didn’t ask her out because he wanted more than that. Absolutely not.
Whatever it was, he’d done it. And now they were going.
After she said yes, he tried to think of where to take her.
In the end, he wanted her to see one of his favorite places.
It wasn’t fancy, but the food was good and the view was outstanding.
The weather was nice enough that they could even sit outside.
Cal volunteered to drive, helping her in the passenger seat and closing her door before getting in. He started the car and then froze.
“Wait,” he faced her. “Tell me you like seafood. Do you? Although they have a few items that aren’t, this place is known for its seafood.”
She placed her hand on his arm, and he felt himself flush with warmth. Just that simple touch and his heart was pounding.
“Seafood is great. I don’t like raw anything, but there are several other seafood dishes I enjoy.”
“Whew,” he said, putting the car in drive and leaving the estate. “Panic moment there. So, where I’d like to take you is a casual place. More like a joint than a restaurant. It’s small, but the food is outstanding. And if you’re up for it, eating out on their deck provides the best view.”
“It sounds perfect. And being outside today would be great.”
She was right. It was fortunately not too warm. One of those beautiful September days that tells you fall is right around the corner.
Deciding against taking the highway, Cal turned onto Route 1 that meandered along the shoreline, weaving in and out of towns. It would take a few extra minutes, but today felt like a back road kinda day.
As he drove, they talked about music and books.
He couldn’t contribute much in the book department, but he was pretty animated about his musical choices.
He admired that she had opinions and wasn’t afraid to voice them.
Seeing the restaurant come into view saddened him.
They seemed to be in their own special bubble in the car.
Talking and laughing. He was enjoying himself so much.
Hopefully lunch would be as interesting.
Examining the outside of the place with fresh eyes, he was surprised she didn’t refuse to get out of the car.
The restaurant resembled a little ramshackle shack with a dirt driveway, peeling paint and a sign out front that had seen better days.
After he parked, he turned and held up both hands.
“I promise it’s worth it. Don’t let the outside put you off. ”
He watched as Rachel took in the exterior. He held his breath, waiting for what she’d say.
“I think it looks like a joint. And probably has the best food within fifty miles.”
He relaxed. She got it.
“You may be right. Shall we?”
They were seated immediately on the back deck that jutted out over the Patchogue River, almost where it flowed to the sea.
Rachel lingered momentarily, looking around before sitting across from him.
He watched her face as she took in the marshland, the small pier for local boaters, and all the wildlife.
“Cal,” she breathed when she sat down. “You were right. This is beautiful. From the front, you have no idea this little slice of amazing is just sitting back here.”
Cal let her enjoyment wash over him, warmth filling his chest. It was nice to be out with someone who appreciated the small things.
“I’m glad you like it. It’s been a favorite of mine for years.”
“I can see why,” her gaze rested on him for a few moments before returning to the view.
Cal laughed. This view had that effect. “Well, here’s your menu. Let’s try to get something on par with this environment.”
In the end, she ordered a white fish Rachel sandwich with a glass of chardonnay. He ordered his usual, the cold lobster salad roll and a beer. Thankfully, the conversation during lunch was as easy as the drive down.
Hesitant to ruin the pleasant time they were having, he avoided asking about topics that she steered away from, like her family, especially her sister, who somehow knew lots of people and vendors related to events.
Rachel was nice enough to do the same when he shied away from talking about his own family.
He did ask briefly about her job, wondering what her most interesting project had been. Her answer surprised him.
“Well, actually, this is my first project with the client services team. I mean, I’ve been with the company for years,” she assured him. “But I always wanted to work more hands-on with clients.”
Now that he was seeing more of her personality, he could understand why she was a natural fit for the job. That part made perfect sense.
“As I’m the new kid on the block,” she smiled. “My boss Seth is a little… unsure is maybe a good word.”
“How do you mean?” he asked, wondering where this was going.
“He’s said he doesn’t have a good feel for me, my work, my process. So I’m really working hard to get my footing and show him what I’m made of.”
Cal found it hard to believe that anyone who spent more than ten minutes with Rachel wouldn’t see the passionate go-getter he saw in her.
She genuinely seemed to care about her work and the people in her life.
Thinking back to their meeting, perhaps it was just a boss and employee thing.
Rachel had been far more reserved and tight-lipped in the office than she was at the estate.
What was he seeing that other people weren’t?
Sensing her discomfort, he steered the conversation back toward more neutral territory. After that moment, the talk flowed naturally as they both dug into their food. Seeing her eyes widen in delight after her first bite of the sandwich was everything Cal could want.
“Oh my god,” she mumbled, her hand over her mouth after the first bite. “This is amazing.”
Taking a fork, he dug out a little of the lobster salad and put it on her plate. “You should try this, too.”
Once she swallowed, she laughed. “I think at this rate, I’m going to keep coming back down here until I find something I don’t like.”
“Mission accepted,” he said before diving back into his sandwich, both of them focusing on their food. Honestly, Cal couldn’t remember when he’d had as nice of a date.
Although it wasn’t a date but hearing her talk animatedly about a local author, listening to her laughter, even watching the breeze tousled her hair, it was starting to seem like a date.
Just as they were finishing, Cal’s phone rang. Glancing at the screen, he grimaced. “I apologize, Rachel. This is a vendor for this weekend. I got to get this.”
“Please, Cal. No problem,” she replied quickly.
He answered and asked the vendor to hold till he got out of the restaurant.
Before he walked out, he looked back to see Rachel with her eyes closed, face turned up to the sun, enjoying the moment.
Although she had her hands wrapped around her arms. It wasn’t full on fall yet, but the ocean breeze did have a bite to it.
Turning back, he left the restaurant and talked briefly with the other arcade rental vendor. So far, things were progressing on schedule, mostly. It appeared they might pull this off.
Before he walked inside, he grabbed a hoodie from the bag he kept in his car. Heading back to their table, he held it out for her perusal. At her nod, he draped it over her shoulders.
“Thank you, Cal,” she said as she snuggled into the warmth of the fleece.
Oh damn, she looked cute in his clothes. This lunch was quickly going off the rails, and he wasn’t even sure he was mad about it.
“My pleasure,” he replied, his voice a little too husky for his comfort.
She seemed not to notice, rather tilting her head, and asking, “So you just happen to have this in your car?”
“Oh, I keep a change of clothes in my car. I sometimes stay at the estate late and it seems like too much hassle to go home so I’ll sleep there. But it’s clean,” he quickly promised her. “I swear.”
“Oh, I know it is,” she replied.
“Really,” he asked. “How do you know?”
He watched her face turn the loveliest shade of pink, and he could almost see her internal debate about what to tell him. He couldn’t wait to hear the answer.
“Um, well,” she started. “I can smell that fresh laundry scent.”
“That’s good,” he said, a little disappointed.
“But it also smells like you a little,” she mumbled.
Cal froze, not daring to breathe in case that startled her into silence.
She turned her head slightly and drew a deep breath. “Like a deep warm whiskey smell with a touch of leather and tobacco.”
Cal felt her answer zip through him, like an electrical current. His eyes dropped to her mouth, and he wondered what she would taste like. Would her lips have a hint of apple and oak from the chardonnay? Were they as soft as they looked?
Realizing what he was doing, he looked up, only to be caught in her gaze. Her eyes were wide, pupils blown, and although she looked shocked, she also looked interested.
There was no other way to put it.
He was in trouble.
Big, big trouble.